Philemon 1:13 - Forerunner Commentary

Philemon 1:13

11 who once was unprofitable to you, but now is profitable to you and to me.

12 I am sending him¹ back. You therefore receive him, that is, my own² heart,

13 whom I wished to keep with me, that on your behalf he might minister to me in my chains for the gospel.

14 But without your consent I wanted to do nothing, ^athat your good deed might not be by compulsion, as it were, but voluntary.

15 For perhaps he departed for a while for this purpose, that you might receive him forever,

16 no longer as a slave but more than a slave—a beloved brother, especially to me but how much more to you, both in the ^aflesh and in the Lord.

Verse Comparison: Philemon 1:13

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American Standard Version
whom I would fain have kept with me, that in thy behalf he might minister unto me in the bonds of the gospel:

Amplified® Bible
I would have chosen to keep him with me, in order that he might minister to my needs in your stead during my imprisonment for the Gospel's sake.

Contemporary English Version
I would like to keep him here with me, where he could take your place in helping me while I am here in prison for preaching the good news.

Darby English Version
whom *I* was desirous of keeping with myself, that for thee he might minister to me in the bonds of the glad tidings;

Good News Bible
I would like to keep him here with me, while I am in prison for the gospel's sake, so that he could help me in your place.

International Standard Version
I wanted to keep him with me so that he could serve me in your place during my imprisonment for the gospel.

King James Version
Whom I would have retained with me, that in thy stead he might have ministered unto me in the bonds of the gospel:

New American Standard Bible
whom I wished to keep with me, so that on your behalf he might minister to me in my imprisonment for the gospel;

New International Version
I would have liked to keep him with me so that he could take your place in helping me while I am in chains for the gospel.

New King James Version
whom I wished to keep with me, that on your behalf he might minister to me in my chains for the gospel.

N.A.S.B. in E-Prime
whom I wished to keep with me, so that on your behalf he might minister to me in my imprisonment for the gospel;

Young's Literal Translation
whom I did wish to retain to myself, that in thy behalf he might minister to me in the bonds of the good news,

New English Translation
I wanted to keep him so that he could serve me in your place¹ during² my imprisonment for the sake of the gospel.³

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